It might be hard to believe just from looking at them, but in the past, poodles were excellent hunters and retrievers! What’s even more surprising is the clip of hunting poodles. English saddle clips and continental clips may indicate a sophisticated dog today, but they were really designed to help hunting poodles swim. The unshaven portions of the design (joints and chest) kept the dogs warm while swimming in icy waters. Fascinated? Then read on. You just might be surprised at how history helped shaped the versatility in poodles.

For a lengthy time in history, poodles fulfilled the role as the duck retriever -- bringing back water fowl for a culture whose food source depended on hunting. The natural intelligence of the poodle enabled easy retrieval so that the birds it returned (duck and geese) weren’t bitten, bruised, torn, or otherwise damaged. But the adventurous and robust character of the poodle enabled it to secure a struggling, live, and fighting meal.

As you can imagine, this talent required skillful training. Hunting poodles additionally had to keep still while their owners prepared for the shoot. Only after the proper hand-signal command would they swim out into cold choppy waters retrieve one, two, or even three kills. Here, you can appreciate why the poodle’s muscular characteristic is so admired. Fulfilling such a role is a tiring task indeed. But the poodle’s strength and endurance makes it the perfect dog for this type of work.